Nicole Malliotakis: “Today I rise to talk to you about why it is important to me and why it should be important to the American people that…”

“Today I rise to talk to you about why it is important to me and why it should be important to the American people that we support those in Cuba who are fighting right now for their future, for their freedom, for democracy, for human rights, and for dignity. I am the daughter of a Cuban refugee. My mother came to this great country in 1959 to escape the oppression of the Castro regime. Sadly, my family had been split apart, and my grandfather had remained in Cuba to stay with his small businesses. He had two gas stations there, and the regime had come in and taken his businesses and his home. Unfortunately, my family never really reconnected. As we look at what is happening right now in this island that is just 90 miles from our shore, it is incredibly important to note the role that Cuba has played in spreading communism and socialism throughout the Western Hemisphere. They have aligned themselves with the most dangerous nations--our adversaries--across the world from Iran to China to Venezuela to Russia and to North Korea. Mr. Speaker, you see them all right now at this moment propping up this Communist regime. {time} 1030 We, the leader of the free world, must stand with the Cuban people at this moment. We have a moment in history that is very similar to what Ronald Reagan faced in 1987 with the Iron Curtain. This is our Berlin Wall moment. The people in Cuba, my family included, have suffered for six decades under a brutal murderous regime.…”